How Can Wake Forest Capture Their Mayo Moment?
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are going bowling and preparing to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday night in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. This is a pivotal moment for the program after having missed out on bowl season two years in a row. A win in this one would be a great ending to the first year of the Jake Dickert era.
It certainly will not be easy. The team on the field Friday will not be the same team from the season, with many key pieces, including Mateen Ibirogba, Micah Mays Jr, and Chris Barnes, hitting the portal. Demond Claiborne also will not suit up as he prepares for the NFL Draft. Mississippi State, on the other hand, should have a more consistent core to what they had during the season. With this being the case. Some Wake Forest fans may be asking: What's the winning formula?
Establish the Line of Scrimmage
It seems like an old cliche, but it still holds in the modern game of football. The team that establishes the line of scrimmage better has a huge advantage. Just look at some of the Deacs' big wins this season. Against North Carolina, Wake mustered 223 rushing yards and held UNC to a mere 56. They held SMU to just 75 rushing yards in that win.
The defensive line will be missing Ibirogba, but they still have key pieces like Dallas Afalava and Jayden Loving to win in the middle. Edge rushers Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke will play a huge role as well, along with a consistent core at linebacker. Wake Forest will need to stop the run, as they did so well so many times this season, to make the Bulldogs one-dimensional. I expect this defense to shine under the lights once again.
On the offensive line, Wake Forest sees continuity from a unit that really came on in the middle and back half of the season. Ty Clark III will take the reins from Demond Claiborne, but he has shown himself to be a capable back all season. Establishing a strong ground game will definitely be key to Wake Forest's winning formula.
Special Moments From Special Teams
Another key part of the Deacs' winning formula this season has been making plays on special teams to change games. Carlos Hernandez's punt return at Virginia was the only touchdown scored by either team. Connor Calvert's 50-yard field goal sent the Deacs to victory over SMU. Two blocked field goals against North Carolina helped Wake win the game.
The pieces on special teams are all there. Hernandez has really come on late in the season, and Calvert has been money all year. Expect the Demon Deacons to be aggressive on special teams and use it as a catalyst to drive the team to victory. The special teams battle will be a key component in stopping the Bulldogs.
I hope everyone enjoys seeing the Deacs go to battle in the postseason. This season has been a huge success, and it is so great to get to see this team on the field one last time. Let's hope Wake Forest does, in fact, capture their "Mayo Moment," and we see coach Dickert drenched in Mayo after the game. Go Deacs!
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.